Picking up the burden
by Marf Redux
Summary: After a slightly different ending to season 6 Allura makes a decision.


I DO NOT READ REVIEWS, In Truth I don't even want them but I can't stop you but just know they won't be read by me.

This is the first completed part of fic series called Transformation that is available on my AO3. I will only be posting this first part here on so to read the rest you need to go to my AO3 dash. Nearly the same name it is up Under Marf_redux

I do not fix errors on this copy as I never look at it again after upload I do fix them when I find them on the AO3 Copy.

Picking Up the Burden

She stood just outside the conference room on the stolen Galra warship they were currently using after the destruction of the Castle of Lions. They had detected several temporal anomalies as the ship exploded and she'd even had flashes strange visions of other worlds. Worlds were they'd been gone for several years and worlds where they left Lotor behind to die in the Quintessence field.

It would have been easier she knew and she probably wouldn't have stopped herself from harvesting the clone to bring Shiro back if Lotor hadn't been there. She could still feel her skin crawl as she prepared to take one life to save another and had glanced at the unconscious heavily bound Lotor and realized that what she was about to do was exactly as he had done. So instead she had healed the clone and she wasn't sure the Paladin's understood why. Keith hadn't spoken to her except when necessary since it hurt but she understood why.

She took one last look at herself as she prepared to face everyone. She had dressed not as a Paladin but as Princess for this meeting. She had realised in the last few days that ever since they lost Shiro in the attack on Zarkon she had been shying away from the burden of leadership. She hadn't completely abandoned it but she had been far to willing to let others take the lead and it was time to change that.

She braced herself and entered the room to see the gathered Paladins, several blade of Mamora members, Matt Holt, Nyma, Romelle and Coran staring at her. A side door opened and the one armed clone of Shiro walked into the room. "Sorry I'm late Princess," he said though she suspected he had timed his arrival to be after hers.

"What's he doing here?" Keith asked darkly and several others murmured agreement. "He's a security risk he shouldn't be present when we are deciding what to do." There are even more murmurs of agreement and she could see the barely disquised hurt in his eyes.

"Ryou has been checked out by the blade medical staff and myself there is no way someone can use him to spy on this meeting." She stated with finality. She could tell several wanted to ask about the name but she had to clear something up. "And he has contributed important knowledge that has helped me decide on our course of action."

She could tell that through everyone they had come expecting to discuss strategy but she had just told them she already had one. "First we have to deal with Lotor," She said knowing that this was going to be the hardest sell.

"That's easy enough put a blade through him, and the problem is solved." She didn't know the name of the blade member who spoke but several others voiced their agreement. Kolivan quickly reined them in but it was clear where the sentiment lied.

"Lotor will live," she said and saw everyone staring at her in shock. "There are several reasons but the first is that when this is all over he will stand trial for the things he's done and answer for them." She knew the blade members were going to object. "But there is another more strategic reason Haggar is obsessively searching for him." She could tell that got everyone's attention. "I can sense how desperate she is to find him sensing he lives but being unable to find him because of me."

"So are we going to have to take him to Earth with us," Lance said clearly worried. "Because that might not go over so well back home." The other paladins and most of the rest looked equally concerned about that.

"No we won't be taking him with us," she would wait to tell them they were not going to Earth. "We will place him in stasis and I will use Altean Alchemy to make the pod extremely difficult for Haggar to find as long we keep it moving." She looked over at the blade, "She will be able to pin point vague details like what sectors he has passed through but not where he is at any given moment."

"I see," Kolivan said speaking up, "We use her desire to find him to lead her on a pointless chase around the universe keeping her and her druids from allying with any of the warring Galra factions." She could sense the approval in his statement and saw the blades relaxing.

"Yes and it keeps her from lashing out wildly in revenge if she senses his death." She needed to stress that the flashes she'd seen as the Castle was destroyed showed how dangerous Hagger would be if Lotor died. "The second thing we must accomplish is relocating the Altean colonist to a new location." She looked over at Romelle who seemed shocked at that statement. "Lotor had to have informed others of it's existence and now that he is our prisoner so they will have no protection."

"My people may not believe we are there to help," Romelle said speaking up. "They have followed Lotor so long convincing them of his crimes may not be possible." She could hear the fear for her people in the other woman's voice.

"I know that Romelle," she looked over at Coran. "That is why you and Coran will be going to to them with the recordings of my conversations with Lotor over the last few days where he admits his actions and tries to justify them to me." She could tell they were curious why she wasn't going. "Hopefully it will help you convince them and then we need to locate a new safe world and move them as soon as possible."

"I got it," Hunk said speaking up. "Take them to the Balmera, Shay and her people would be glad to help." She hadn't thought of that it would be the best solution. "And bonus when we can pick up a crystal for the Castle we are going to build when we get to Earth."

"That is an excellent suggestion Hunk but I should tell you all now we will not be going to Earth to build a new Castle of Lions." She raised a hand to forestall their objections. "I have asked the Olkari to build the new Castle and they have already begun." She could see their shock. "They have access to the data they need to start it but they will need the full plans to finish." Their time on Olkarian had led to the Olkari being familiar with several of the Castle's design features. "Matt I have to ask you to go to Earth and retrieve the castle data and get it to Olkarian as soon as possible."

"And where will we be while everyone else is doing all the work," Pidge said clearly annoyed at not getting to go home to her family. She had known the Paladins would not be happy but she hoped what she had to stay next would convinced them of it's necessity.

"We're going to bring Shiro back," Ryou said before she could say anything else as the room exploded then. She could barely pick out the individual voices of the various paladins so she simply waited letting them slowly realize that no one could answer why they were all talking.

"How are we going to bring Shiro back," Keith asked once silence had descended on the room again. He then looked over at the clone. "And what do you have to do with it?" She decided that she would let Ryou answer first because he was the one who figured out how to save Shiro.

"A day or two ago I went and sat in the black lion hoping to talk to Shiro," Ryou said and she saw them exchange glances. "I don't know if it's where I'm a clone or because I've piloted the black lion but just like Keith I managed to do so." She could clearly see the envy on Lance, Hunk and Pidge's faces they'd all tried and failed to connect to Shiro since learning he was trapped in the lion. "While we were talking he touched me and suddenly I knew where we could bring him back so I went to Allura."

They all turned toward her so it was time to tell them, "Oriande is the only place we can possibly bring him back." She could tell by their faces that they didn't really understand but they looked hopeful. "But you all should know it will take all of five lions and the seven of us and even then it may not work but I feel that we have to try." She could tell by their faces that they agreed.

Later once they had all gone their separate ways Kolivan found her standing alone with her thoughts. "It is a good strategy you've come up with Princess," he said standing behind her. "But there are many ways dividing our attention like this could go wrong."

"I'm aware of that Kolivan," she said honestly. "But as you well know the burden of leadership is making the hard choices and I put that burdon down once I cannot do it again." He started to leave but she reached out and touched his shoulder. "Before you go there is one other thing we need to discuss alone just between the two of us." He looked back surprised. "I do not ask you this lightly but I need you to prepare to step forward as a contender for the Galra throne." His shocked silence seemed to stretch impossibly long. "I do not ask that you take this burdon lightly but Lotor was right we need someone on the throne we can trust but he's also proved that we cannot simply take the easy way of simply finding someone who says they are on our side." She knew from his face that he was going to refuse. "Please Kolivan just think about it and discuss it with the rest of the blade leadership."

"I will do so Princess," he said looking at her. "I believe that you have changed in recent days." She began to feel uncomfortable under his stare. "It suits you." He said as he walked off and she found herself wondering what he had meant by that.

The end.

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